


rose perfume

by coldairballoons



Category: Ghost Quartet - Malloy
Genre: (not major), F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Modern Era, Past Lives, Poetry, Reincarnation, Typical Ghost Quartet Weirdness, Whiskey - Freeform, poem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29042925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldairballoons/pseuds/coldairballoons
Summary: A poem based on Ghost Quartet and WLW vibes from that. [jazz hands]
Relationships: Rose Red/Soldier (Ghost Quartet)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	rose perfume

**Author's Note:**

> (To clarify, this takes place both in the modern setting (Camera Shop) and in Soldier & Rose.)

I remember it all so clearly.

Whiskey burning my throat in the camera shop.

The sound of the train on the tracks.

Going.

Going.

Going.

The scream.

The scream from the victim.

The scream from the victim who I didn’t help.

Why was it so loud?

Oh, that’s right.

Guilt.

I’m drowning in it.

Drowning, drowning…

It’s like when I died.

Died as Roxie.

Died as Rose. Rose Red.

Died as Starchild.

And died as myself.

A thousand lifetimes over.

Whiskey burns my throat

As I sip from the glass, given to me

By my sister.

And my mother.

And my lover.

And my best friend.

And myself, in some lifetime.

And herself, in another.

She looks at me like

I am stardust.

(Maybe I am.)

(Maybe we all are.)

But she is reverent.

Patient.

  
Kind.

Beautiful.

How didn’t I realize sooner?

Did I love her, in that past life?

Her, the soldier.

Me, the rose.

Did I love her?

Then? 

No.

Now?

She kisses a line up my throat.

Whiskey on her lips.

Whiskey on my lips.

Whiskey in a glass on the table.

Whiskey, poured by her hand.

Her hand, holding my face

So reverently, 

Like I am the most 

Beautiful

Woman

In the world.

In this lifetime.

She smiles.

And she kisses my lips.

I taste whiskey.

I taste honey.

I taste blood.

I taste myself.

I smile.

And I kiss her cheek.

She has rose perfume.

That’s me, 

I want to say.

That’s me,  _ I _ am Rose.

“My rose,” 

She whispers,

And presses her nose 

Against my cheek.

“My soldier,”

I whisper

In reply.

And she smiles.

Her teeth are 

Pearls.

_ She _

Is Pearl.

Was Pearl.

Will be Pearl.

But for now,

She is my friend.

My lover.

My soldier.

**Author's Note:**

> [holds up Ghost Quartet like Long Cat] She is very beautiful to me.
> 
> Anyways, come talk about our favorite spooky circular story on Tumblr with me at @coldairballoons, or if you're just here for my Murdoch stuff, @bisexualwilliammurdoch. Or, hell, if you're here for ASOUE, @locallemony.


End file.
